Pacific wormwood

Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata may be considered a biennial, or short lived perennial. Each individual plant will die after flowering, but in the meantime, new plants will spread from its taproot thereby establishing long-lived, large colonies. A basal rosette will form during the first year of growth. The leaves are are slightly pubescent, grayish or blue-green, deeply divided into thin lobes that are up to 2" long and merely 1/8" wide. The basal foliage might persist (depending on location) through the first year, but will die back the second year as the plant begins to bolt. The flowering stems are ridged, often branched, will vary in color from light green to deep red, and range in height from 2' to 4'. The yellow-green flowers are diminutive, but abundant. They are borne on branchelets along the central stem, as well as an any lateral stems.

Cultivation

Field sagewort prefers dry conditions in full sun. It is well adapted to sandy soils and can be used to help stabilize dunes. Its native range includes dry savannas, sandy prairies, and rocky glades. This unusual, but attractive species makes a great addition to a sunny rock garden. It is moderately salt tolerant, and a good choice for beach front gardens and and sandy lake shore gardens. Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata is extremely cold hardy (circumboreal). Zones 2-9

Propagation

Propagate from seed in fall. Stored seeds will require a period of cold stratification prior to sowing. Plants may also be propagated by clump division in fall when dormant. If doing so, care should be taken not to damage the tap-roots when lifting the plants out of the soil.

Additional Notes

Native American tribes have used all parts of sagewort to make a variety of treatments to be taken internally or applied topically.